Ranking 5 NBA Rookies Who Could Actually Win ROY over Victor Wembanyama

With his unbelievable size, NBA-ready defense and a clear path to minutes with the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is a pretty strong favorite to win 2023-24 Rookie of the Year at -125, according to FanDuel's Sportsbook.

A handful of others could spoil his welcome party, though.

Rookie of the Year is often about points and visibility, so finding the players likeliest to get the former is key. The latter often comes by virtue of the points.

Which players have the skills necessary to force their way onto the floor and the right teammates to facilitate productive campaigns?

Scroll below to find the top five, based on the aforementioned need, quick access to a role and some scoring opportunities.

5. Keyonte George

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 08: Keyonte George #3 of Utah Jazz reacts to hitting a three point basket against the LA Clippers during the fourth quarter of a 2023 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 08, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

Rookie of the Year Odds: +5000

A player picked outside the lottery wouldn't typically have the strongest case for Rookie of the Year, but Keyonte George is going to a team with a loaded frontcourt and some question marks in the backcourt.

Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Walker Kessler are the obvious starters for the Utah Jazz at spots 3 through 5, but no member of the young core has really locked down either guard spot. Talen Horton-Tucker, Ochai Agbaji and Collin Sexton may have an inside track to minutes, but George looked ready to compete in summer league.

In six games in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, George averaged 18.7 points and 5.3 assists in just 26.4 minutes while shooting 38.6 percent from three.

That's obviously a small sample size, and it's always dangerous to formulate takes based on summer play, but George looked more than comfortable running an offense or operating as more of a combo guard.

And lineups that include both Collins (who struggled from the outside last season) and Kessler could need an influx of shooting at the other positions.

If George proves capable from three, he could find himself sharing the floor with the aforementioned big men. And with the attention they'll draw inside, that would mean plenty of open looks from deep.

4. Brandon Miller

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: Brandon Miller #24 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of a 2023 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Rookie of the Year Odds: +1500

The Charlotte Hornets already have at least one star in LaMelo Ball, and Miles Bridges is set to play on a qualifying offer after averaging 20.2 points the last time he was in the league. If P.J. Washington is back too, there may not be a ton of shots available for Brandon Miller.

But the Charlotte Hornets were 28th in threes per game and 29th in three-point percentage in 2022-23. A lot of that had to do with injuries, but it's hard to argue this team doesn't need shooting. And that should be Miller's most NBA-ready skill.

As a freshman at Alabama, Miller averaged 18.8 points and 2.9 threes while shooting 38.4 percent from deep and 85.9 percent from the free-throw line.

That's the profile of a potential high-end (and high-volume) floor spacer. And if Ball and Bridges are available for much of the season, defenses could lose track of Miller while trying to slow those two down.

If he makes a couple of threes per game at a decent clip, affects the game on defense with his length and helps the Hornets compete for a play-in spot, he has a shot to join the Rookie of the Year conversation.

3. Amen Thompson

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 07: Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball against Scoot Henderson #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Rookie of the Year Odds: +4000

This one is a little tougher to justify from the "who has the easiest path to points?" perspective.

The Houston Rockets have plenty of usage going to Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Kevin Porter Jr., but new coach Ime Udoka was all about defense with the Boston Celtics. And that could help Amen Thompson get on the floor.

Even as a rookie, Thompson will be one of the league's higher-end athletes. Combining that with a 7-foot wingspan and a desire to make an impact on the defensive end should earn him Udoka's favor.

Thompson's willingness to pass could help him pile up rotation minutes too. Again, plenty of shots will go to the aforementioned veterans, but that doesn't mean Thompson can't make an impact. Feeding them and scoring on timely cuts or other off-ball opportunities could lead to solid rookie numbers.

2. Scoot Henderson

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: Scoot Henderson #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on as the team warms up for a 2023 NBA Summer League game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Rookie of the Year Odds: +430

As of this writing, Damian Lillard is still a Portland Trail Blazer, but his departure via trade still feels inevitable. And whenever that happens, the team will be firmly in the hands of incoming point guard Scoot Henderson.

Though his outside shooting left something to be desired with the G League Ignite, he's solid in the mid-range and looks like he'll have the knack to get into the paint whenever he wants.

Breaking down multiple lines of defense, collapsing it and being able to find shooters or dunkers to kick out or drop off to is key for an NBA playmaker, and it looks like Henderson will check that box.

The biggest reason to like his Rookie of the Year case, though, is the opportunity he appears in line for.

Assuming the Lillard trade goes down, Henderson will get tons of shots and driving opportunities. Even if he misses a lot, volume can win this award. Paolo Banchero was a wildly inefficient scorer in his Rookie of the Year campaign.

1. Chet Holmgren

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LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before the 2023 NBA Las Vegas Summer League against the Dallas Mavericks on July 8, 2023 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Rookie of the Year Odds: +380

Chet Holmgren has a year of off-court seasoning in the NBA and an obvious role with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams figure to be the team's top three scorers for the second year in a row, Holmgren should get plenty of easy looks at the rim playing alongside them.

If that leads to a double-digit scoring average, Holmgren should be in the running for Rookie of the Year, because that figures to be far from his biggest impact as a rookie.

Like Wembanyama, Holmgren looks like an NBA-ready rim protector, and he should get tons of minutes for a team that started Jaylin Williams, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and even Aleksej Pokusevski for some games at the 5 in 2022-23.

His instincts and ability as a shot-blocker might put him in the mix to lead the league in blocks, not just rookies.